Honey, I'm Home
by paixnouvelle
Summary: After eighteen months of working to take down Henry Wilcox, she finally won. But will she be able to win back over the one she was truly fighting for? (Disclaimer: I don't own Covert Affairs. Just writing fanfiction to soothe my sorry soul.)
1. The Return

It had been eighteen months since Annie Walker was, well, Annie Walker. In order to open the CIA's eyes as to all the dirty deeds Henry Wilcox had ordered and participated in, she took on the persona of Anne-Marie Rousseau. Her new identity was dark, cunning, and a bit of a trickster. Some might say this wouldn't have worked, but the two people who were read-in to her plans saw the fruits of her labour. Now, it was time to read-in the one person who truly mattered to her.

Annie was pacing around the small apartment Joan Campbell had helped her procure. The layout was very similar to that of Danielle's old guest-house, which made her feel almost at home. She was wondering how to present herself when she walked back onto Langley's campus for the first time in about nineteen months. She bounced back between a ponytail and plain hair, a pantsuit and a dress, and her new signature scent and her classic Jo Malone. Even though one aspect of her would be lost to someone, she still wanted to make herself unrecognisable to him. And so she did. Except for her classic Louboutins she had kept safe all this time, she chose a navy blue dress that matched her dark brunette hair almost perfectly, a French twist, and her new perfume which was a combination of raspberry, plum, and vanilla. She gathered her things and took a deep breath. It was time.

Much to her surprise, when she opened the door, Joan was standing right there.

"Pleasure seeing you here, Joan." She said, her heart almost racing.

"I'm sorry for the surprise, but I wanted to personally transport you to Langley today. I know your nerves are probably off-the-charts, especially considering what you plan to do, so I guessed you might want someone to talk to." She smiled, backing away a bit so Annie could exit her apartment and lock the door.

"Well, that's very kind of you, Joan. Thank you." She knew Joan had softened up a bit since David Campbell was born, but she did not expect this much from someone she used to refer to as the Ice Queen.

Once they arrived to Joan's vehicle, it wasn't till halfway to Langley that Joan finally spoke up. "I thought I'd let you know that much like your first-first day here, Auggie will be your tour guide around Langley. But be careful. Ever since they brought your 'ashes'", She took a hand from the steering wheel and made air-quotes, "he's been quite the recluse. We pretty much have to relay everything to him thru Stuart or Eric. He barely even listens to them, but he listens to everyone else even less. Just go along with our plan, and hopefully, we can start getting Auggie back." Her lips curled into a smile because she too missed the man Auggie Anderson was eighteen months ago.

"I got it, Joan. But just to clarify the plan once mo-"

"You are supposedly inviting a handful of people from the DPD to a small get-together at your apartment, but until he arrives, hopefully, he won't know he's the only one invited. You continue to play the part of Anne-Marie, but once he starts showing the signs of reminiscing to the old you, which we all know will happen, you drop the act. If he tries to flee, let him. It is a bit much for him. But if he stays, tell him everything you need to."

"Hey, Joan?"

"Yes, Anne-Marie?" A small laugh escaped her lips.

"Thanks for everything. It's good to finally be back home."

"It's good to have you home, Annie."

The rest of their ride to Langley was engulfed by silence. However, it wasn't the awkward silence that Annie was expecting, considering the circumstances. It was a loving and understanding silence. A silence that spoke volumes.

Once Joan guided Annie thru the process of security, she left her there and went to retrieve Auggie. She came back with a man Annie almost didn't recognise. His posture had definitely declined, his clothes looked like he hadn't changed out of them in days, and his personality was that which Joan had forewarned her of. But she knew if all went according to plan, this would soon change.

"Ah, you must be August Anderson. My name is Anne-Marie Rousseau. I'm a new operations officer with the DPD. Pleased to meet you." She introduced herself in her French accent and smiled, even though she knew it would be lost on him.

"Most people call me Auggie, but it doesn't matter to me." His slightly gruffier voice spoke in reply.

"Auggie, you're going to be showing Anne-Marie around campus. Seems like a better thing for you to do than be sulking at your desk." Joan said, lightly placing her hand on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him.

"Whatever you say." He said, still looking down and fiddling with his laser cane.

"I suppose we shall begin, yes? I'm excited to learn about this place!" She hoped her peppy attitude would cheer him up slightly.

"I guess so." He motioned with his free hand for her to follow him. Before she began, Joan approached her.

"Good luck, Annie." Joan whispered into Annie's ear. She smiled as she watched Annie walk off to what felt like her first mission as an operative: Operation Recover Auggie.

"A blind man leading you around the CIA. Insert ironic joke here." He said his trademark statement, looking straight ahead. They had been walking around for a good bit in silence, his only direction for her being when he himself turned corners.

"Actually, it doesn't make a difference. I've worked with many people who are blind. One of them looked a lot like you. A little bit taller though." She laughed a little bit as she made a quip at his posture.

"People have been saying I slouch. I suppose that happens when you sit at a desk all day. You just sit how you feel comfortable."

"Your attitude seems to be in a bit of a slouch too. Is there anything you'd like to talk about?"

"No." He firmly stated.

"That is fine. Ah, I see we've arrived at the DPD!" She knew she was finally back where she belonged, but could not do anything as of yet to reveal her true identity.

"I guess so. It was nice leading you around, Anne-Marie."

"Before I head over to my desk, I would like to ask you something. Since we are already talking, I was planning on inviting some people from the DPD to a small gathering at my place, so I can establish my presence in a good way. Would you be interested in coming?"

"I don't know..." He said, his glance drifting away.

"Oh, it will be plenty of fun! Besides, you seem like someone who needs to get outside these walls. I'll email you my address and other details!"

"I guess. Joan has been hounding me to do something social for the past eighteen months."

"Fabulous! I'll see you tonight then!" She bounced over to her desk, knowing the wheels of her plan had finally begun turning.

**A/N: This is my first attempt at posting fanfiction, so I really hope you like it! I'll be working on chapter two, since this is intended to be a multi-chapter fic. It is loosely based on the events of 4x10 and assumptions of what'll happen down the road, except of course, Auggie is not aware of her alive-ness here. Thanks for reading! **


	2. The Reveal

The wheels have finally been set into motion. Can Annie accomplish her task of bringing Auggie back from the living dead?

Annie paced her apartment once more. It was already becoming a nasty habit of hers, but her nerves had been off-the-charts, especially today. But it was closing in on the time where she would claim back her most precious treasure: Auggie.

Since she was preparing to finally reveal her true identity, she began easing into her old persona. She pulled out a small vial of Jo Malone Grapefruit and spritzed herself with it. She walked into her living room, pulled out the Charles Mingus CD she had went and bought after work, and inserted it into her stereo system. The fridge was calling her name, so she walked over and pulled out a bottle of Patron she had bought for this occasion and set it on the counter, along with two glasses. These subtle hints, she hoped, would be enough for someone like Auggie to recognise what was really going on. However, she still had a bit of doubt that things would not go as planned. Even though she wasn't a firm believer in a higher power, she sent up a silent prayer of hope. As if God had already heard her, a knock was heard. Her step was light and bouncy as she approached the door and opened it to find Auggie, who had cleaned up a bit for the occasion.

"Ah, August! I'm so glad you could make it! Let me guide you around my place!" She smiled, resisting the urges to launch herself into his arms and tell him everything immediately.

"It's Auggie." He laughed a little bit. "And is that Jo Malone Grapefruit you're wearing?"

"Ah, yes it is! May I ask how you know?"

"A deceased colleague of mine was known for wearing it. And oddly enough, her formal name was Anne. May I call you Annie?"

"Yes, you may!" Her smile grew ten times wider as she heard him speak her name. "Oh, may I interest you in some Patron? The man I was telling you about earlier, the one that looks a lot like you... He is a big fan of Patron. I naturally assumed you would be too."

"I would love some. Thank you, Annie." He paused for a moment, as if he was pondering something. "Is that Mingus playing?"

"_Oui! _You are a Mingus fan, I presume?"

"A huge fan."

"My friend loves him, too. I spent so much time around him, I naturally became acclimated to jazz music. Mingus is my favourite!"

"This could be the start of a wonderful friendship, Annie." He said, feeling around the counter til he found his glass. He held it up as a proposition of a toast, and Annie clicked her glass against his in reply.

They talked for a couple hours about each other. Annie spun him the fabricated tale of her adventures as an importer/exporter with some dangerous interests who had been recruited by none other than Joan herself to be an operative. Her description of the time at the Farm was interlaced with some truth, but most of her story had been made-up. Auggie described some of the adventures he had with Annie before everything went awry. She could tell it was painful for him to reminisce, but she played along.

As she went back over to the kitchen to grab another bottle of Patron to refill their drinks, Auggie's eyes widened, as if he was realising something. Then he spoke again.

"I think even a blind person could notice that nobody's here besides us. Is anyone else coming?" He almost seemed a bit annoyed.

"Ah, I was so caught up in my first-day paperwork and such, I could not find the time to invite anyone else. But I did not want to cancel on you. You seem like a very nice person to become acquainted to." She smiled, hoping her plan was not about to be shattered to bits.

"Oh, okay." His finger trailed along the edge of his glass in lazy circles. She walked over, quickly refilled his drink, and sat down next to him. "Y'know, Annie, from what you've told me, you almost seem like the spitting image of my old Annie. Minus the actual image part, of course." He laughed at his own blind joke.

"And all these adventures you've told me about you and your old Annie remind me of my adventures with my old friend. Although I can't remember his name for the life of me. Ah, what is it..." Random names began trailing off her tongue in an almost rapid-fire fashion. "A-ha! I remember! Coincidentally enough, his name was also August. He also preferred being called Auggie." She laughed, preparing herself for the inevitable.

"It almost sounds as if we've lead mirrored lives of each other." He said, taking a sip of his Patron.

"Actually, Auggie, I must confess something." He raised his eyebrow in curiosity. "I wouldn't exactly call it a mirrored life of your old Annie."

"What do you mean?" His curiosity was rapidly increasing.

"I am Annie."

"Congratulations, you know your own name." He laughed awkwardly. "Is that what you wanted to say?"

"Auggie, you don't get it." She took a deep breath, then began to speak in her old voice, the final step into becoming, for the most part, Annie Walker. "I am Annie."

"What do you mean?" He spoke in disbelief.

"Auggie, I'm sorry for pulling something so cruel on you. I almost didn't want to, but it seemed like the only way to take down Henry." Tears began streaming down her face freely.

His face was frozen in shock, as if her truth turned him into stone. The dropping and shattering of his glass finally snapped him out of his trance. "Shit, I'm sorry!" He said, immediately navigating himself to the kitchen to grab a rag, his right foot running into various things along the way. When he made it back to the couch where Annie was still sitting, he immediately bent down to clean up the mess in order to distract himself from the truth he had just received. Fifteen minutes later, he had wiped up the Patron, carefully picked up the pieces of glass, and disposed of them. "Again, I'm sorry." He said as he finally sat back down.

"No, Auggie, I'm sorry. It was my fault."

"No. You know what's your fault, though? This." He said, motioning to his entire body. "Eighteen months ago, I found out you were dead. I fucking mourned over that. I lost the one person who mattered to me over everything else. So I stopped caring about myself, because nothing mattered. And now you think you can just walk right back into my life like nothing ever happened? No. Fuck you, Annie Walker, Anne-Marie Rousseau, whoever the hell you are. Fuck you." He stood up immediately and stomped over to the door. Once he was outside, she could hear him calling his car service in a fit of anger. She wished she could offer him a ride home, but that was obviously out of the question. She texted Joan to let her know Auggie had been partially read-in but ran off, then cried herself to sleep.

**A/N: I hope you weren't expecting everything to immediately become sunshine and roses between the two. But fear not, dear reader! Our dear ol' August might just come to grips with this situation. Guess you'll just have to read to find out! And thank you for the high praises on the previous chapter! It feels great to know somebody likes this amateur's work. As always, thanks for reading, lovelies!**


	3. The Reconciliation

Annie may not have been very successful in her attempt to read-in Auggie, but will our dear ol' blind man change his course of action?

It had been about two months since the day Annie decided to reveal that she was not dead, but fully alive. She had been on about three missions, two of which she volunteered to so she could distract herself. Auggie had given her the silent treatment during this time, but she noticed from afar that he was happier. He was happy to know that she was alive, but angry about it at the same time. She just admired the fact that his state was improving.

One day, she was admiring him from afar again, when Joan came over to her desk and snapped her out of her trance. "Annie, I'd like to see you in my office, please."

"Oh, um, sure. Okay." Annie brought herself back to earth and tidied up her desk before she walked to Joan's office. "Is this about Auggie?" She asked as she closed the door behind her.

"You guessed correctly. I've been meaning to say this, but I'd like to offer you sincere thanks on improving his condition. It's a great service to us all."

"You're welcome. But in the process, he ended up stomping out of my apartment, and I'm pretty sure he hates me. So I wouldn't be so sure that it was all a success."

"I wouldn't be so sure about not being so sure." Joan said with a bit of a smirk on her face as she pulled out from under a folder what seemed like a blank piece of paper, but was a message in Braille. "Someone asked me to deliver this to you. I'm not fluent in Braille, but I can only guess who it's from and what it might say." She handed it to Annie, and Annie's fingers immediately began running over the bumps, and she began smiling halfway thru her reading.

"Thank you, Joan." Annie said as she turned around to exit.

"You're welcome, Annie. Let the mission continue."

Annie blasted thru whatever work she had to do for the day so she could make it home and prepare herself for the night. The note she had read in front of Joan was as follows:

_ "We need to talk. My place, 8 p.m., bring the Patron. -Auggie"_

She bounced around her apartment like a little girl, deciding on what to wear as the sounds of Mingus drifted around. She knew she was acting as if she had never been to his apartment, but considering how things were between them, it was almost as if they were meeting there for the first time. At 7:30, she ran downstairs and sped off to the local alcohol shop and bought a hefty bottle of Patron. She sure couldn't deny the man his favourite drink if she wanted to improve and repair their relationship.

Promptly at eight, she showed up at his door, but refrained from knocking for a moment or two. She may be an adult, but she was just as nervous about entering as a teenager is when they tell their crush how they feel about them. She took a few deep breaths, shut her eyes, and extended her arm to knock. When she felt the hefty metal door slide from under her quaking knuckles, she opened her eyes and had to keep her knees from buckling in shock. She was absolutely scared, but yet so prepared.

"Walker. Come on in." Auggie said, putting on his best smile. To anyone else, it seemed genuine. But him and Annie are, or were, close. She knew he was a master at hiding his true emotions.

"I brought the Patron as requested."

"I could hear it sloshing around in the bottle." Auggie chuckled just a bit. He knew either the Patron would aid in loose lips spilling the truth, or help them forget what could be a possible disaster. He went to retrieve two large glasses as Annie sat on his couch and tried to calm her nerves. Her jitters could put an ADHD kid to shame.

"So... I am talking to Annie Walker, right?" He asked, sitting down next to her and handing her the glasses so she could pour Patron into them.

"Not by name, but by being." She managed to say without stuttering.

"I guess I'll start off by saying I'm sorry for how I acted a couple months ago."

"No need to be sorry, Auggie. It's pretty damn understandable. You thought I was dead. I didn't expect you to act any differently."

"But still, you being dead or alive, I didn't have to be an ass."

"Apology accepted." She said, handing his now-full cup back to him.

"So who was read in on all this?"

"Joan and Calder. Joan was with me thru most of it. Calder and, for a part, Eyal, just helped me become, well, not Annie. He was the last person to see Annie Walker. I'm Anne-Marie Rousseau to everyone else."

"Well, you're always gonna be Annie Walker to me, Miss Rousseau." He laughed just a little bit.

"I wouldn't have it any other way, mister Anderson." She smiled at him. She really missed him.

For the next hour or so, they continued to split the bottle of Patron while discussing the real adventures Annie had while tracking down and defeating Henry Wilcox once and for all. Her descriptions of all the adrenaline rushes she had while running thru places like Copenhagen, St. Petersburg, and Vienna painted a picture no one else had the capability of painting. He was so awestruck by the precision she said she had in close-call situations. He could listen to her for hours, but he knew he couldn't. He couldn't just pretend like everything was back to normal.

Annie picked up the bottle of Patron and began walking to the door as she finished spinning the tale of her final showdown with Henry before he finally was arrested. Before she opened the door, she turned around and began to speak.

"Auggie, I want you to know that I still l-" She couldn't finish her sentence before she fainted and fell to the ground. As soon as he heard her body thump to the ground, he ran over.

"Annie! Annie, are you okay? Annie!" He began screaming at her, to no response. Immediately, he ran to his personal cellphone and called an ambulance.

**A/N: Oh lordy, our operative is down for the count. What was she about to say to Auggie before something got the best of her? Tune in to the next chapter to find out. As always, thanks for reading, lovelies!**


	4. The Recovery

Will Annie be okay physically? And will Auggie be okay mentally? What were the words Annie was preparing to speak as she dropped to the ground?

It had been about twenty-seven hours since a worried Auggie Anderson arrived at the hospital with an unresponsive Annie Walker, or to the rest of the free world, Anne-Marie Rousseau. After the doctors thoroughly examined her, they arrived at a set of conclusions. She had fainted from a bad case of nerves. But when she fainted, her head fell on the floor in such a way as to knock her unconscious. The length of time unconscious was a bit irregular, but they were sure she was not comatose. So he sat and listened to Annie. He listened to the IVs drip various drugs into her. He heard her deep breaths that indicated how deeply asleep she was. He was still wondering what she was about to say right before her body dropped to the ground.

Almost exactly at midnight, the machines that tracked Annie's vitals began beeping more rapidly than they had been. Auggie had fallen asleep a matter of minutes ago due to the lack of sleep he had been experiencing. It wasn't until he heard a small mumble, barely audible, that he began to wake up.

"… Ove you." Annie tiredly whispered.

"Annie? Are you okay?" He asked, sitting up straight in his seat.

"Auggie, where am I?" She asked in reply, her waking eyes blinking rapidly.

"You're in the hospital. You fainted, and the fall knocked you unconscious."

"So much for the super-spy who can withstand everything. I was taken down by nerves, of all things." She lightly chuckled, still pulling herself from a state of slumber.

"You're awake now, aren't you?" His smile was infectious, and spread to Annie. He sat there and smiled at her for a minute or two until he was brave enough to ask the question that had been eating away at him since they arrived in that room. "Hey, Annie... Do you remember what you were saying before you hit the ground?"

"Oh, it was nothing. I was probably just talking to myself."

"Well, you mentioned my name before you went down. And you were in the middle of your sentence. Are you sure you don't remember?" His curiosity was beginning to get the best of him, something that didn't normally happen.

"It's nothing, Aug. Besides, it's too soon for me to be saying it, anyways." She said, looking away from him. She was scared to let him know everything that was running once again thru her mind.

"Annie..."

"It's too soon for me to be thinking this, and you probably still hate me for all this. So drop it." She said sternly, her eyes looking deep into his.

"Fine. But don't think I won't bring it up later, Rousseau."

"I thought I'd always be Walker to you." Her eyes instantly switched from demanding to almost puppydog-like.

"You are. But to the doctors around here, you're Rousseau. They don't know much about you, nor do they need to." He smiled. Her lips curled into a weak smile as she fell back to sleep. He drifted into slumber as well, knowing his Annie was safe.

He woke up about four hours later and heard Annie's deep breaths that signaled she was still asleep. But once again, she began mumbling things in her sleep. He leaned in slightly and was able to make out her words, words he had been waiting for.

"Auggie... I love you... I'm sorry... I love you..." She repeated over and over again, as if she was begging him to acknowledge it. Just like when she was in the hospital a few years ago due to the gunshot wound she had received, his hand drifted up the bed until he could feel hers. He grasped it and squeezed tighter than he had all those years ago. The only thing that restrained him from squeezing harder was her hand squeezing his in reply. He could only guess that she was up and that her smile was beginning to spread across her face.

"Please tell me I wasn't mumbling in my sleep. That's the only reason you'd be squeezing so hard." She felt her cheeks redden with embarrassment.

"Oh, you were mumbling." He laughed. "And I was listening."

"Did I blabber on like an idiot? Please tell me these medicines didn't make me sound like an idiot."

"Quite the opposite, Annie. At least, from my perspective." He smiled quite widely.

"Oh, dear God. What did I say?"

"I won't disclose what you said, but just know I forgive you, and" He stood up, leaned into her and placed a small kiss on her cheek, "I still love you, too."

"I, um, did I really say that I..."

"Is that what you were trying to say before you dropped?"

"It might have been..." She turned away once again in an attempt to hide her embarrassment.

"No need to be embarrassed, Annie. I can hear you shifting around."

"It's just, I thought you'd hate me after everything I did. I pulled a Helen, for God's sake."

"Well, put it this way. Yes, you'll always be Annie Walker to me. But going dark and leaving me without warning or such was Annie Walker. You're Anne-Marie Rousseau now. Anne-Marie didn't do that to me. It just helps that Anne-Marie is the spitting image in more ways than one of Annie Walker." He laughed again, which comforted Annie. "And it'd be my pleasure to get to fall in love with Anne-Marie."

"August Anderson, you have me crying rivers." She chuckled as she wiped tears from her face.

"Now, get back to sleep, Annie. You need your beauty sleep. As if you needed to be more beautiful."

"Yes, sir." She laughed before she let herself drift off into a state of bliss and relaxation. She knew, even though she could never be Annie Walker ever again, she had the most important piece from her old life, and she'd be damned if she ever lost him again.

A day and a half later, Annie was finally discharged from the hospital, with a small cocktail of drugs prescribed to her. Under Joan's orders, she was to stay away from Langley for forty-eight hours, giving some time for healing before she returned to work. Coincidentally enough, although it wasn't truly a coincidence, Auggie was given the next forty-eight hours off as a gift from Joan. Annie chose to spend her recovery time nowhere else but in the arms of Auggie. She felt at home once again.

**A/N: Ah, it's finally getting fluffy in here! A Walkerson (or in this case, Rousseauson) reunion has now occurred. It'll most likely get fluffier and smuttier from here, but I'll be sure to add some drama back into the mixture. Will our dear Annie be able to keep herself out of the hospital? You'll just have to find out, won't you? As always, thanks for reading, lovelies!**


	5. The Reaction

It's been almost sixteen months since Anne-Marie Rousseau, also known as Annie Walker, made amends with her precious blind beau, Auggie Anderson. But can she keep herself away from the all-too-real death's door?

xXx

"Auggie?" Joan asked as she walked thru the glass doors into Auggie's tech-filled office.

"Hey, Joan. What's up?" He asked in reply as he pulled off his headphones and spinned around in his chair.

"I need to see you and Annie in my office as soon as humanly possible. I need you two's expertise on something."

"Oh, anything for you, Joan. We'll be in soon." He said as he picked up and extended his cane and walked out after Joan. He couldn't help but feel a bit indebted to her after she had helped bring his Annie back to him. He would almost be willing to lay down his life for this woman. But of course, he'd surrender his life in a heartbeat if it was Annie who was in trouble.

He followed the course to Annie's desk, his gait light and joyous. "Hey there, Rousseau. Got a moment?" He asked as he arrived to where she was translating some emails.

"I have all the time in the world for you, Anderson. What's up?"

"Actually, it's Joan who needs a moment. She wants to see both of us in her office, so she had me swing by and snag you."

"Ah, okay! Just give me five... More... Seconds..." She said, pressing the keys on her keyboard rapidly. "Ah, there we go! Let's get to Joan now." She linked her arm with his and they walked to Joan's office, wide smiles across both of their faces.

"Ah, there are my two favourite operatives. Anderson, Walker, take a seat." Joan smiled at them as they walked in.

"Joan, be careful with the last names." Annie snapped, reminding Joan that people still might be able to hear her chatter. It still couldn't be revealed to anyone that Anne-Marie Rousseau was not entirely the person she claimed to be.

"Oh, I'm sorry. It slipped my mind for a moment. Anyways..." She slid a folder towards each of them, each folder being of medium thickness. "I've been keeping tabs on Henry's prison life and those he was associating with whilst in the outside world. I've seen an increase in snail-mail traffic, and we all know Henry's not the one to be writing sentimental notes. I can only rise the suspicion Henry is somehow writing plans to his minions in wording that passes security at the prison. We can't let that bastard wreak any more havoc, so I'm calling in you two. Annie, you'll be going in as an interim secretary of Lexington, since their old secretary is on paternity leave. They're taking a handful of people to a conference in Copenhagen, which you'll be joining them at. You need to retrieve whatever mail is coming in from Henry's prison and find out what he's helping plan. And Auggie, you'll be her handler on this. Your extensive knowledge of Henry make you two the only qualified people for this.

"Is this off or on the books?" Auggie asked.

"Off-the-books."

"No, no, no!" Auggie stood up in a fit of rage. "Off-the-books mission in Copenhagen involving intel from Henry? Do you not remember our past with all three of those details?"

"Auggie, calm down." Annie extended her arm and placed her hand on Auggie's shoulder, soothing him enough so he would sit down. "I technically don't have a past with off-the-books. I was in Germany for only a week in total during my darkness, and I'm not facing Henry myself. It'll be fine."

"How do I guarantee that? It's not like I can just extract you if I need to without getting screwed over!"

"Auggie. There was always that little piece of you that believed I wasn't dead. There was that piece of you that trusted me enough to know what I was doing, and that I would return one day. Now, I'm asking you to revive that piece of you. I need you to trust me, and trust that I will be safe." She looked deep into his eyes, and saw all the heartbreak he had experienced so long ago when he lost her. He didn't want that to happen for real. But she needed him to trust her. She had gone thru the fire so many times before, so what could really burn her now?

After a moment or so of silence, Auggie finally spoke up.

"As long as you trust yourself, then I need to trust you, too."

xXx

It was the fifth and final day of the mission. So far, Annie had played the part of the secretary quite well, gathering what mail came from a certain prison back in America. But something inside of her, a little part of her, was telling her that things were about to get screwed over majorly. Then again, she always felt that after she began going on missions as Anne-Marie Rousseau rather than Annie Walker. So she compartmentalised her feelings and went on with her goal.

"Annie… Wait. Don't go into that office. I'm intercepting chatter, and I think they're catching onto you. As in, _you_." He said thru the phone. He emphasised that last word to let Annie know that Henry's former associates may be aware of her true identity.

"Are you sure, Auggie? They don't seem like they're smart enough to catch onto that. I've changed a good bit since I last had to deal with them."

"I'm sure. People who work with Henry are good at playing dumb. Please, just back out while you can."

"Auggie, please. I can do this." She felt slightly annoyed at him. Why was he starting to treat her like such a little kid? It almost felt like he didn't trust her.

"Annie, _don't_." He said, worry interlaced with his words. He could hear her footsteps approaching her fate, and he wished that he could be there right now to extract her, but he couldn't.

Her footsteps began increasing in frequency, and Auggie's heart began racing along with her feet.

"Annie, what's going on?"

"They're chasing me, Aug. They had some people following me from behind, and…" He heard a gunshot from behind, and he heard the _oof _escape Annie's lips as she fell to the ground.

"ANNIE!" He began screaming thru his phone. What just happened to his Annie? He heard another set of feet approaching. This set didn't seem so heavy, so it couldn't be any of Henry's henchmen.

"Who is this?" A small, feminine voice spoke out.

"Who are you, if I may ask?" He asked back, choking back tears of worry.

"I'm Anneliese. I'm a new intern with company." The innocent woman's faulty English began speaking out once more.

"That woman who's in front of you on the ground. I need you to take her to the nearest hospital as soon as possible. Her identification should be on her. Please, I need you to take her now."

"Will do, sir. She looks like she is critically hurt, sir."

"Please, hurry." He said as he hung up the call and immediately stormed to Joan's office.

"Auggie, what's wrong?" She asked as she heard him enter.

"Why did you have to send her out, Joan? Why?!" He let his tears flow freely as he began pacing a small line in front of her desk.

"Auggie, what happened? Did Annie finish the mission?" She asked, not aware of what had just happened.

"What do you think, Joan? Do you think I'd stomp in here in a rage just to let you know it was all a success? Damnit, Joan!" His anger was flowing out of his body with a greater speed than his tears. "I swear to God, if she dies, it's on you. It's all on you, Joan."

"Did Annie…"

"She's on her way to the hospital right now. She's being transported by some Anneliese woman."

"Go. Go to Germany, Auggie. God knows you won't be useful here if all you're doing is worrying about Annie."

Auggie stood in shock at the words that had just escaped Joan's mouth. She hadn't offered this except once in his whole job experience in the DPD. It wasn't even an offer last time it happened. It was about six months into Annie's dark period, where Joan had instructed Auggie to take a leave of absence, since his worry and desperation rendered him useless at work. It was a shock to him.

"Well, Auggie? Don't just stand there. Hop on a plane to Copenhagen before I change my mind." A small laugh escaped Joan's lips before Auggie burst back out of the office and immediately began arranging his travel plans to Germany. He sure as hell wasn't going to lose her now, considering the past and what he had planned to do in the very near future.

**A/N: Oh, Annie. You should've listened to Auggie. Old Annie was a bit defiant, but it seems so is new Annie. Will you ever learn? The more important question is… What was Auggie planning to do in the near future? Guess you'll just have to read the next chapter to find out. Special thanks to DiggyDelena for being such an inspiration to me so far. She's the reason I started this fic, so you guys should check her out (especially **_**Six Months Dark**_**… That was my absolute inspiration for this, and will always serve as such.) As always, thanks for reading, lovelies!**


	6. The Revival

Annie has yet again refused to listen to those who care about her, and has now found herself in a deep rut. Auggie can only hope she'll be able to make it out alive.

xXx

Auggie Anderson could vaguely remember the last time Annie had been knocking at death's door. It was a few years ago, when that horrible Lena Smith shot her in the chest. Chills flew down his spine at the thought of that witch. He wished he could bring her from the grave and kill her again, but he knew he could only do that in a dream. And unfortunately, this wasn't a dream. It was all too real that Annie had been shot once again in the chest. It was all too real that she could be dying. And it was all too real that he felt it was all his fault. He should've pleaded more when they were in Joan's office. He should've pleaded more each day when she woke up. He should've pleaded more before she approached that office. He felt so stupid for letting all this happen.

The one thing that made this all absolutely heartbreaking for him was the small box that never left his person. While Annie was on her flight to Copenhagen, he found his way into a small jewelry shop down the road from his studio apartment. He was there for a couple hours, talking with the proprietor on the specifics for his engagement ring to Annie. He was planning to propose to her as soon as she arrived back stateside, but the way things were heading, she'd only be heading stateside in a wooden box. So he held onto that box, the elegant diamond ring safely contained within it, as a token of hope. He felt as long as he held onto it, there was a chance she would make it out alive.

xXx

Two days had passed without any improvement in Annie's well-being. Auggie had been there the whole time, listening to the machine that told him the same thing over and over again: _beep… beep… beep…_ He had almost come to expect a decrease in the frequency of beeps to come any day now. He had only a tiny, miniscule sliver of hope now that Annie would pull thru like she always had. After a slight internal debate, he pushed himself off of the stiff chair next to a window with a wasted view and shuffled over to Annie's bed, where she lay motionless. He pulled out that small velvet-covered box from his pocket and plucked the ring out from it.

"Annie… If you're gonna die, I want you to die knowing that I love you more than anything. I've loved you ever since that first day you walked into Langley. I've loved you even when you've been somebody else. I will never stop loving you, and I will never find anyone else like you." He slid the ring onto her limp finger as he began letting his sadness wash over him in tides. He could feel his tears flow down his cheeks, finding their way down to stain his shirt. He didn't care anymore.

"Anne Catherine Walker, Anne-Marie Alexandria Rousseau, I love you. I always will. And I hope one day in heaven, you'll look down on me and smile." He began sobbing as he shuffled back to where he sat, but he stopped dead in his tracks when he heard a whisper barely croak out from where he had just been.

"How about I look at you from earth and smile?" He couldn't believe it. He had to be dreaming. This moment was only a dream. But yet, he turned around and smiled, a new set of tears trailing from his eyes. Oh, how he wished he could look her in the eyes and repeat every word he had just said to her when she was asleep.

"It'd be nice if I could reciprocate." He pulled a smile together for her.

"I dreamed that you could." Her tired eyes focused in on the man standing in front of her. She could see that he hadn't slept in days. "But…" She breaked to make herself aware of her surroundings, "... It was weird. It was right as we were getting married. Right as I walked down the aisle."

"Sounds like a pretty crazy dream." He chuckled as he finished walking back over to her. He felt around for the bar on the side of her bed, then let his fingers trace their way down to find her hand once more. "So, how are you feeling, Annie?" He asked, squeezing her hand.

"Well, other than kinda sore, and kinda tired, and a bit happy, I'm kinda thirsty." A weak smile graced her face once more.

"I'll go ask one of the nurses to get you some water." He said, navigating back to his chair, picking up and unfolding his cane, and walking out of the room. As soon as he let the door shut behind him, he felt around for the chair he knew was next to the entrance and collapsed in it. He felt as if he could breathe again. He cried once more, but they were tears of celebration and joy. _She was alive_.

xXx

Two days had passed where they had examined Annie to make sure she could sustain another injury to the chest like she did all those years ago. They, much to Auggie's delight, decided that she was fully capable of normal functions. Of course, she had to wait a while before returning to work, but she was surprisingly okay with that. She wasn't dangerously eager to return to being an operative like she used to be. Something had changed within her while she dreamt unconsciously. She realised she needed to stop defying authority so much and just do what certain people say… Especially Auggie. She felt so stupid for not listening to him. He always seemed to know what would happen down the road, but she never listened. And now here she was, another chest wound to remind her that she was pretty damn stupid.

But something else was nagging at her, something that didn't make her feel like the world's worst excuse for an operative. Every time she had woken up in that hospital, she noticed a constant glint of light coming from her left side. At first, she thought it was simply light reflecting off her metal bed. But that beam followed her everywhere when she was allowed to leave the confines of her bed. When she looked at herself in the mirror right as they were getting ready to discharge her, she finally noticed it. An elegant diamond ring graced her left ring finger. She didn't remember ever wearing it, so where did it come from?

"Auggie, what do you know about this?" She said as she walked out of the tiny bathroom, wiggling her fingers.

"Annie… You're kidding, right?" He laughed.

"What do you… Oh, wait. I did not just…"

"You're excused, since you're still probably a bit drugged up." He listened to the sound of her disdain and walked over to her. "Try again."

"What do you know about this?" She repeated, dropping her hand into his and letting his fingers graze over hers.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but those are fingers." He laughed once more.

"I'm serious! Auggie, I don't remember ever wearing a ring on this hand." Her voice sounded perplexed.

"Well, if I'm not mistaken, that feels like a nice diamond ring on your ring finger. Are you sure you didn't grab one off the black market while you were busy kicking Wilcox's ass?"

"Auggie, this almost looks like an… Like an… Engagement ring?" She was so confused. "I never remember you proposing to me. I would remember something like that."

"Are you sure it's an engagement ring?" He faked his curiosity.

"Auggie, when…"

"It was when I thought you were going to die two days ago. I figured, if you weren't gonna make it, I could at least let you die with it on your hand." He turned around and began to walk towards the window, wishing he had the ability to stare off into the sky in order to avoid eye contact. Unfortunately for him in this moment, he could _feel _Annie's eyes piercing his skin and looking upon him in shock. It was such an emotional move on his part; something she never expected out of the tough-as-nails blind tech op.

"So you were planning to… Then you thought… But now I'm… Wow, Auggie, I…"

"Having trouble forming a complete sentence there, Annie?" He feigned a laugh, but she could tell it was dripping with fake-ness.

"Do you still want to?" She walked over to where he was and grasped both of his hands.

"Still want to what?"

"Marry me? Do you still want to marry me?" She looked deep into his eyes, wishing he could do the same. "Because I do."

"You really want to?" His eyes began lighting back up with excitement.

"Yes." She could immediately feel him pulling her into his warm embrace. She couldn't even remember the last time she felt him pour this much emotion into something as simple as a hug. But she still treasured that moment like she never would again.

"Then Anne-Marie Alexandria Rousseau, or to me, Anne Catherine Walker, will you marry me?" His eyes glimmered, awaiting the response he knew was coming.

"I've been waiting so many years for you to ask that. Of course I will." She cupped his face with her still slightly-tired hands and brought his face in for a passionate kiss that not only matched, but exceeded the love she felt in his embrace a moment ago.

**A/N: I brought myself to tears writing this chapter. It's just so raw and emotional to me, and I hope it's the same to you. I'm so glad you guys are liking this story! It's great to know my first attempt at fanfiction is a success. I have about one or two more chapters planned to wrap this up, and I think I'll give these two some time without one or the other being whisked away. Plot bunnies and such are VERY welcome. As always, thanks for reading, lovelies!**


	7. The Receiving

They planned it all so a day that would be set aside for mourning would instead become a day of celebration; the day Auggie could finally call Annie _his_.

xXx

It was a small wedding they had planned; not too many people were invited. Annie managed to finally coerce Danielle into coming, even though she was still mad at Annie for faking her death; she was still family by blood, so she had sort of a social obligation to be involved in the wedding. Auggie's side of the family practically begged to be involved in any way they could, and Auggie reluctantly agreed. He didn't want too many people involved in something he wanted simple, especially since they didn't know the woman he was choosing to marry was someone they presumed dead.

Then there was the people they considered family simply by how close they were. Joan and Arthur were the first ones notified of the engagement and wedding details, since without them, none of it all would be possible. Stu and Barber, who had caught on to who Anne-Marie truly was about a month or so before Annie had been sent to Copenhagen, were invited. Calder, who had also, in some ways, helped bring Annie back, was invited. And much to Annie's surprise because of the past between them, Auggie managed to extend an invitation to Eyal thru various protocols. It surprised her even more when he accepted, although she wished he wasn't simply going to come to stand up at the end and say that the two don't belong together. One could simply wish.

xXx

He heard her steps running thru the small church they had chosen to hold the ceremony at. He heard the _click-click-click-click _of her Louboutins echo against the walls, and that could only mean two things: either she was getting cold feet, or Danielle had put aside all the anger she had towards Annie and became suddenly controlling over everything. He followed the clicks in hope that it would be latter. After a minute of following, the echoes turned into simple clicks, which he assumed to be her exiting into the private courtyard.

He followed the sounds of her heavy breathing and the rustle of her gown to where he figured she was sitting.

"What are you doing here?" She asked. "You're not supposed to see me before the ceremony."

"Hi, I don't know if you know this, but I can't exactly see you, so there's no worry of me jinxing anything." He laughed, letting his hand find its way to her shoulder. "What's going on?"

"It's just… Wow. A lot of stuff happening right now. It's a bit overwhelming."

"Do you want to wait?"

"No, no. I want this to happen. It's just… Wow. I never thought I'd get to this point in my life. It's amazing and huge and overwhelming and, well, wow."

"Well, coming from somebody who has kinda been down this road, I know how you feel. This is a very big step in life, but the best part about this step is you have somebody to take it with."

"I know. And I'm glad I can take this step with you, Auggie." She smiled as she stood up, getting ready to head back into the ceremony.

"I am, too." He stood up and his eyes widened, as if he had an idea. "There's no blind-man clause in the whole don't-see-your-bride-on-the-wedding-day tradition, right?"

"I guess not. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I'm assuming tradition is only broken if I see you with my eyes. May I see you the way _I _see you?"

He could hear her lips curling into a smile.

"Of course you can." There was that _click-click-click-click _again. She approached him, grabbed both of his hands, and placed them on the top of her head.

His fingers first trailed along her hair. He could feel how her hair was formed into a loose French twist, and he could feel the few strands of hair that fell freely on each side of her face. His hands fell from her hair down to her fact, cupping her cheeks with his hands. His index finger trailed across her cheek, the tip barely grazing her delicate nose. After that, he let his hands drift from her face to her shoulders, then down her sides. Those delicious curves she had before she went dark had finally returned. The more his hands lingered on top of her hips, the more she felt goosebumps rise on top of her bare arms. But she let him continue.

His hands rose from her hips and went up her back, his fingers feeling every single detail of the embroidery on her back.

One little detail stood out from everything else, though. At first, it seemed as if bits of embroidery had fallen out, but after a moment or two, the detailing at the edge of the back of her dress gained an almost infinite amount of significance.

"Is that…"

"'I love you' in Braille?" She interrupted him. "It is. I wanted one special detail just for you, something only you would notice." She watched his smile widen and move from inches in front of her face to her cheek.

"Just another reason for me to love you, Annie."

"I love you too, Auggie. Now, we should get inside before Danielle comes chasing after me." She laughed.

"Okay. I'll be waiting for you."

"I'll be looking for the handsome guy at the altar." She smiled as she began walking away and he began following the sounds of her footsteps back inside.

xXx

It was a small, elegant ceremony that followed after their moment in the courtyard. The one small detail that was a surprise to everybody, even Annie, was when they exchanged vows, Auggie acknowledged his bride by her true identity rather than the person she had theoretically become. It was all she could do not to wear a goofy smile and cry tears of joy. It had been so long since she heard her real name by itself, so it meant all the much more to her. The reception was as lovely as the ceremony, but Annie only had one thing on her mind: to go home. Sure, she was enjoying all the festivities, but she just wanted to spend time alone with her husband, whatever that may entail. When everything began winding down, they were finally escorted back home for the night.

When they arrived at his, or now _their_, door, she could feel his arms tightly wrap around her waist and picked her up. She giggled, and before he captured her lips with his, she spoke three words.

"_Honey, I'm home."_

~*The End*~

**A/N: And now we have officially wrapped my first fanfic series! Again, I'd like to give a HUGE shoutout to DiggyDelena for inspiring me to start writing fanfic. Go read her stuff; she is one of the most detailed authors I have ever read, fanfic or not. And also, thank you to everyone who left reviews and such on each chapter. It means so much that everyone liked my first go at this thing. Be on the look-out for a series I'm starting on Joan during her college days, and a possible letters-from-the-field type thing I'll be working on for NaNoWriMo. As always, thanks for reading, lovelies!**


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